The Director Communication and Public Affairs at Parliament, Chris Obore has criticised the opposition's plans to boycott the upcoming regional Parliament sitting in Gulu, calling it a "political stunt."
Obore argues that some Members of Parliament have become too accustomed to the urban lifestyle in Kampala and are disconnected from the realities faced by citizens in other parts of the country.
“It’s unfortunate that some members, who have become too comfortable living in Kampala, think they know the entire country. The sitting in Gulu will remind them of reality,” he stated.
Obore expressed disappointment with the Opposition’s decision, suggesting that it was more about gaining popularity than addressing real issues.
“This is just a political game, which is very unfortunate. It's a popularity stunt for members to say they will boycott the sitting in Gulu because of allowances,” he said in a video clip shared online.
He further cautioned MPs to be mindful when discussing their emoluments and remuneration in public, as it could fuel negative perceptions among citizens.
“I would personally request them to always go slow when talking about matters related to their own emoluments and remuneration in Parliament. The public could ask them to even go further and boycott salaries and fuel,” he said.
Obore emphasized that holding the sitting in Gulu would not incur additional costs to the taxpayer and would offer numerous benefits, including giving MPs a better understanding of life outside Kampala.
“Sitting in Gulu is a very good thing. It comes at no additional cost to the taxpayer, but it comes with so many benefits,” he added. “Let’s get out of Kampala and go to the people who have no opportunity to come to Kampala to see how you work.”
Opposition legislators announced on Tuesday their intention to boycott the parliamentary regional sittings scheduled to commence at the end of August, citing concerns over resource wastage.
“As the shadow cabinet, we have elected that it is problematic for us in the Opposition to be part of such an arrangement because we have not been brought on board; we are in the dark. The expenditure is difficult for us to explain to the public,” said Joel Ssenyonyi,the Leader of Opposition.
Ssenyonyi revealed that he wasn’t consulted about parliament having regional sittings, implying that the organizers of the sittings have their own hidden agenda.
“All these things are happening secretively; we don’t know. The commission is not sitting to discuss these matters. It clearly shows you that there is more than meets the eye,” Ssenyonyi said, adding that “we should discuss these matters.”
“That is why you hear a section of the public saying that maybe this (regional sittings) is another plot to account for money that is being stolen.”
In May 2024, Speaker Anita Annet Among announced plans to hold sittings in four different regions of Uganda, a move apparently intended to bring parliament closer to the populace. The development came after consideration of the Sh72.130 trillion national draft budget.
Speaker Among said some people watch legislators on television and want to meet them physically.
“There are some people who look at us on cameras; they have never seen us; they look at Theodore Ssekikubo, but they want to see Ssekikubo physically,” she said.
Among also believes the regional sittings offer parliament an opportunity to witness first-hand the challenges facing ordinary people across the country.
“Let’s go to the people, and if we are going to see a region like Gulu, we must capture everything that affects the northern region, and we must discuss those issues,” she added.
The inaugural Northern regional sitting will take place on August 29 and 30 at Kaunda Playgrounds in Gulu City's Bardege-Layibi Division.
Other sittings are expected to take place in Mbarara, Masaka, and Mbale.
